By Dr. Kishore Shallow
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Following the planning of a sporting event for Rose Bank on the weekend of May 24,
2025, I followed the usual protocol to access a national sporting facility, which is to writeto the National Sports Council (NSC). On May 5, 2025, I received a formal response
from an NSC staff member stating, “I have been informed that the Rose Bank Hardcourt
is not under the auspices of the National Sports Council. It is being managed by a
Community committee headed by the Parliamentary Rep for North Leeward [Carlos
James].”
This action is a deeply troubling move that strikes at the very heart of democratic
decency and community development. This act is not just petty politics; it is a blatant
abuse of power that undermines the integrity of public office and the rights of the very
people Carlos James was elected to serve.
Public facilities\u2014especially those like hard courts that should serve as critical spaces for
youth development, community building, and healthy recreation\u2014should never be held
hostage to political maneuvering. These spaces belong to the people, not to politicians,
and any effort to restrict their use based on political rivalry is both unethical and
undemocratic.
The Area Representative\u2019s refusal through the NSC to grant access to the facility for an
event reveals a disturbing willingness to prioritize personal political gain over the welfare
of the community. This decision not only deprives constituents of a valuable resource
and opportunity to earn, but also sets a dangerous precedent: that public services and
infrastructure can be weaponized for political advantage. But what is new with this
government, some may ask!
This is a continued betrayal of public trust. What makes this even more egregious is the fact that the facility has been abandoned by the government. Are Carlos James and theULP willing to put up their hands now as the culprits for the neglect of this facility over
the years? Even if so, the Member of Parliament ought to be reminded that these are state resources and should not confuse public service with private entitlement.
By denying access to the hard court, Carlos James is not just attempting to sabotage his opponent; he is attacking the community\u2019s right to gather, to play, and to engage in civic life. It is an attack on young people who want to play sports, on community groups, on
vendors & service providers, and on every citizen who believes in fairness and equal access.
It is time we hold these abusers accountable. This kind of political gatekeeping has noplace in a democracy. Public spaces are meant to unify, not divide. And any politician who uses them as leverage in a personal political game reveals a lack of vision,character, and commitment to true representation.
Carlos James should reverse this decision and issue a public apology to the constituents of Rose Bank and North Leeward. Anything less is a disservice to the office he holds
and the people he purports to represent.
Our democracy deserves better. Our communities deserve better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the people will remember <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The views expressed are not those of Asberth News Network<\/em><\/strong><\/mark> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Dr. Kishore Shallow Following the planning of a sporting event for Rose Bank on the weekend of May 24,2025, I followed the usual protocol to access a national sporting facility, which is to writeto the National Sports Council (NSC). On May 5, 2025, I received a formal responsefrom an NSC staff member stating, “I<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":42296,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mainstory"],"yoast_head":"\n